Apparatus for continuously making retractile cordage



T. K. COX

A ril 3, 1951 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSILY MAKING RETRACTILE CORDAGEFiled Oct. 23, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNl/ENTOR 7: K. C OX ATTORNE April3, 1951 T. K. cox 2,547,357

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY MAKING RETRACTILE CORDAGE Filed Oct. 23, 19473 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I IKCOX ATTORNEY April 3, 1951 T. K. cox2,547,357

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY MAKING RETRACTILE CORDAGEI Filed 0012. 23,1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lM/EN 70A ZK. COX

By g/m A T TORNE V Patented Apr. 3, 1951 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSIJYMAKING RETRACTILE CORDAGE Thomas K. Cox, Randallstown, Md., assignor toWestern Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, Y., a corporation ofNew York Applicati no t ber 23, 1941, Serial No 781,735

.12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an apparatus for continuously makingretractile cordage.

in the past, retractile electrical cords of a type having plasticelements therein have been made by winding cord, lengths into helicesupon relatively short mandrels and heating the individual Lcords mountedon the mandrels to soften the plastic elements of the cords in helicalforms so that the elements set in such helical forms when they arecooled, or by winding such cordage upon a rigid mandrel and pushing thecordage along the mandrel as it is wound therein. Obviously, the methodof winding the cord lengths .on short mandrels to form individual cordsrequires'much manual handling of the cord lengths and the ,mandrels.When the Cordage is wound continuously upon a rigid mandrel, the cordagetends to adhere to the mandrel and resists being slid thereon, wherebythe cordage is sometimes damaged. This is particularly true where acordage having an exterior jacket of rubber, polymerized chloroprene(neoprene) or other material havin a high coeflicient of friction formsthe exterior surface of the cordage.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus forcontinuously mak' ing retractile cordage.

Another object of. the invention is to provide apparatus forcontinuously forming cordage in ahelix on a mandrel, for setting thecordage in such a helix and for continuously unwinding the cordage fromthe mandrel after the cordage has been set in such form.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may includea flexible mandrel, means for advancing a mandrel along a predeterminedpath, andmeans positioned at a predetermined point along .said path forcoiling cerdage upon the mandrel.

, A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from thefollowing detailed description of an apparatus forming a specificembodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevation of an apparatus forming oneembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section of a portion of theapparatus;

Fig. -3"-=is an enlarged, vertical section taken along line. 3-3 of Fig.'2;

Fig. 4' is an enlarged, horizontal section of anotheiwportion of the-apparatus Fig. 5. is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section takenalong line 5--5 of Fig. i, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of a cordage pryingshoe forming a portion of the apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, cordlage In includes aplurality of conductors l I? (Fig. .3) having insulating coveringsl2--l2 thereon and a jacket l3 enclosing the covered conductors II-ll.The jacket I3 is composed of a compound including rubber, syntheticrubber-like material or other material which may be set in anyparticular shape by heating the material and then cooling it. he covengs I 2.-l2 also may be made of a material which may be set by heati andcooling it. The cordage I0 is served upon an endless, flexible mandrel I4 by a coiler l5 in the form of a helix as the mandrel I4 is advancedcontinuously. through the coiler IS. The mandrel i4 is advanced throughthe coiler l5, then through a heating oven and finally through anuncoiler Zl by a capstan 22 driven by a shaft 23. The oven .20 heats thejacket [3 and the insulating coverings l2- l2 (Fig. 3') of the.helically coiled cordage It]. This softens the jacket 13 so that itsets in the form in which it occupies in the helix on the mandrel M(Fig. 1) to form retractile cord:- age as it cools between the oven andthe uncoiler 2|. 7 The uncoiler 2| then uncoils the retractile cordagefrom the mandrel M, which is 'advanced around the capstan 22 over aweight-biased tensioning sheave 24, and thence to .and around a guidesheave 25 and back to the coiler I5.

The coiler l5 includes a frame (Fig. 2) having aligned hollow arbors 3!and 32, which are mounted rotatably in bearings 33 and 34, re-

.spectively. A gear 35 fastened rigidly to. the

arbor 3| and driven from a suitable source of power (not shown) servesto rotate the frame 30 around the flexible mandrel I4, which is advancedthrough the hollow arbors 3| and 32. A supply of the cordage In iscarried by a supply reel mounted on the frame 30, and the cordagewithdrawn from the reel 40 is served helically around the movingmandrel. A radial and thrust bearing 38 carried by an arm fastened tothe frame 3!) supports the mandrel at a point near that at which thecordage is served on the mandrel.

The reel 40 is mounted rotatably by arbors 4| and 42 carried by a frame43, which is se cured to and rotated by a shaft .44 projectingtherefrom. A leaf spring brake 46 tensions the cordage somewhat so thatthe cordage is served tightly upon the mandrel l4. The shaft 44 ismountedrotatably in a thrust bearing .45 carried by the housing 30,, anda bevelled gear 50 is keyed thereto. The gear 50 is driven through abevelled gear a shaft 52 mounted on bearings 5353 carried by the housing30, a bevelled gear 54 and a bevelled gear 55. The bevelled gear 55 isdriven through a shaft 56 mounted rotatably in bearings 51 and 58carried by the housing 30, a reversible differential 59, a shaft 60, asuitable adjustable gear box 6!, a shaft 62, a bevelled gear 63 and afixed bevelled gear 64. This revolves the reel 40 around an axisperpendicular to the axis of the flexible mandrel I4 so that the cordageI0 is twisted about its longitudinal axis as it is formed into a helixon the mandrel.

This twisting increases the closeness with which the individual turns ofcontinuous cordage are placed on the flexible mandrel I4. The reel 40 isrotated around theaxis of the shaft 44 at a predetermined rate withrespect to the rate of revolution of the reel 40 around the flexiblemandrel I4 due'to the above-described gear train. Hence, the twist perturn, of the helix formed upon the flexible mandrel is uniformregardless of the rate of revolution of the housing 30. This twist tendsto make the helix tighter than it ;wouldbe otherwise. If it should bedesired to make the helix looser, the direction in which the "reel wouldbe rotated around the axis of the shaft 44 would be reversed.

' The continuous coiled cordage I0 travels with the mandrel I4 into andthrough the oven 20, which heats the jacket I3 and the coverings I2-'I2of insulating material to soften them in the form in which they occupyin the helix in which the cordage is coiled. The oven 20 is heated bysteam from a steam pipe 62 and the exhausted steam is lead therefrom bya drain :pipe 63 leading to a steam trap (not shown) The oven softensthe jacket I3 and the coverings I2-I2. (Fig. 3) sufficiently to'relievethe strains therein'so that, when the jacket and the coverings arecooled, the jacket and the coverings set in the forms they occupy in thehelix.

The coiled cordage and the mandrel I4 pass from the oven 20 to and intothe uncoiler 2I (Fig. 4) and the jacket I3 and coverings I2-I2 :coolsufllcienly to set before they reach the uncoiler. The uncoiler includesa frame It having hollow arbors II and I2 projecting therefrom and:mounted rotatably in bearings I3 and I4, re-

spectively. A gear 80 fastened to the arbor H is driven by suitablemeans (no-t shown) in synchronization with the gear 35 (Fig. 2) torotate the frame I0 around the axis of the mandrel I4 at the same rateand in the same direction as that at which the frame 30 is rotatedtherearound. A shaft BI is mounted in bearings 8282 carried by the frameI0, and the shaft 8| has a bevelled gear 83 keyed thereto, which mesheswith a stationary bevelled gear 84. As the frame I0 is revolved aboutthe mandrel, the gears 83 and 84 cause the shaft 8! to rotate. Rotationof the shaft BI rotates a shaft 86 mounted in bearing 8I8'I, which arecarried on the periphery of the frame I0, through bevelled gears 91 and9|. A bevelled gear 92 secured to the shaft 86 rotates a bevelled gear93 to rotate a reel-supporting frame 94 carried by a shaft 95 to whichthe bevelledgear 93 is keyed. The shaft .95 is rotatably mounted inaradial and thrust bearing 96 secured to the frame 70.

4 to a shaft I02 supported rotatably in bearing I03-I03 carried by thereel-supporting frame 94, is rotated. This rotates, through bevelledgears I06 and I0'I, a shaft I04 supported by bearings EBB-I05. The shaftI04 rotates a driving disc H0 splined thereto, which drives areelsupporting arbor II through a driven disc H2. The reel-supportingarbor III is mounted rotatably and is held against longitudinal movementby a support H3 carried by the frame 94, and, with an adjustable arborH4 carried by a support H5, serves to hold a takeup reel H5. When thearbor III is rotated through the discs H0 and H2, it rotates the takeupreel H5 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, to wind thecoiled cordage I0 upon the takeup reel.

. A feeler I (Fig. 5) biased against the cordage A bevelled gear I00 isrigidly secured to the :;bearing 96 so that, as the reel-supportingframe 94 is, rotated, a bevelled gear-IN. which is keyed,

on the reel H5 by a tension spring I2! controls the position of the discI I9 through a linkage I 22 in accordance with the amount of the cordageIn which has been wound upon the takeup reel so that the speed ofrotation of the takeup reel H6 is always just sufficient to preventslack between the takeup reel and a cordage feeder I23.

The cordage feeder I23 includes a pair of presser belts I24 and I25(Fig. l). The presser belt I24 is mounted on idler pulleys I26 and I21,while the presser belt I25 is mounted upon an idler pulley I28 and drivepulley I29. The pulleys I25, I27, I28 and I29 are mounted upon shaftsI3I, I32, I33 and I34, respectively, secured to a tongue I formed on theframe 94. The shaft I34 is driven in synchronization with the reel H6 bythe shaft I34 through bevelled gears I35 and I36, a shaft I31, a drivepulley I39, a belt I39 and a driven pulley I40 secured to the shaft I34.The feeder I23 advances the coiled cordage II! to the takeup reel at auniform rate of speed, which rate is the same as that at which thecoiled cordage I0 is uncoiled from the mandrel I4.

A distributor I positioned between the're'el H6 and the feeder I 23includes a-guide fork I5I,

which is reciprocated adjacent to the reel H6 by a double thread screwI52 mounted rotatably in bearings I53--I53 carried by the reelsupporting frame 94. The screw I52 is rotated in synchronization withthe variable rate of rotation of the reel H6 by a friction disc I55keyed to the screw I52 and bearing against the periphery of the disc H2so that the cordage is distributed upon the takeup reel H5 uniformly.

A shoe I50 carried on the end of an arm I5I projecting from the frame I0gently pries the cordage I0 away from the mandrel I4 as the shoe isrevolved around the mandrel I4 with the frame I0. The cordage, which istemporarily straightened slightly, passes through a guide passage IE2(Fig. 6) and a guide ring I63 formed inthe shoe I60, after which thecordage recoil s itself into a tight helix. The shoe is provided with aconcave portion I55, which rests on the mandrel I4 as the shoe isrevolved therearound. The concave portion I65 of the shoe I joins anadjacent curved surface I58 to form a wedgelike edge I69. Since theframe I0 is rotated about the mandrel I4 and the shoe I 60 is carried bythe frame I0, the shoe I63 is rotated about the mandrel I4 as themandrel is advanced therepast. As a result of the longitudinal movementof the mandrel I4 and the rotation of the shoe I60 about the movingmandrehthe wedge-like edge IE9 is forced between the mandrel andthesuccessive advancing convolutions of g the helitally wound Cordage Ill,andthe cordage-ifs thereby pried away from the mandrel.

A's the cord'age is unwound from the mandrel I 4, the unwinding tends totwist the cordage at the rate of one turn per revolution of the reel H6around the mandrel H4. This twist is immediately removed from the coiledcordage by the revolution of the: reel H6 and the cordage opposite tothat. at which the arm IGI and the:

feeder I 23 are mounted, supports the mandrel" at a point near to theshoe I60;

Operation In the operation of the apparatus described." hereinabove, theflexible mandrel I4 (Fig. 1) is advanced continuously at a uniform rateof speed through the coiler I5, the oven 26 and the uncoiler 21'. aclosehelix upon the flexible mandrel I 4 and applies any desired twistto the cordage to form a loose helix or a tight helix whichever iswanted. The oven softens the plastic elements of the coiled cordage inthe forms in the helix; and the plastic elements cool to set in thoseforms. The uncoiler 2| is continuously rotated around the mandrel I4 ina counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5'. As the uncoiler 2Iis rotated, the shoe I fill is revolved around the mandrel and thewedge-like edge I69 of the shoe gently pries and wedges the cordage Itfrom the mandrel, partially straightening the cordage as it does so. Thecordag'e reassumes its helical shape as it passes through the guide ringI63, which holds the cordage in the groove I62, and is advanced towardthe takeup reel H6 by the feeder I23 at the same rate atwhich it isuncoiled from the mandrel I4.

The portion of the cordage uncoiled from the mandrel I 4 is rotatedaround its own axis by the feeder I23 as the feeder is revolved by" thesupporting frame-94' so as to take out any twist imparted to the coiledcordage by uncoiling' it from the flexible mandrel I4. The distributor Idistributes the cordage in close turns upon. the takeup' reel H6 insynchronization with the rate at which the reel H6 is rotated. whichrate is varied under the control of the feeder I28 to keep the rate atwhich the takeup reel H6 coils the cordage thereon the same as that atwhich the cordage is fed thereto by the feeder I'23. The feeder advancesthe cordage towards the takeup reel II 6 at the same rate at-which it isuncoiled fromthe mandrel I I4 so that there is only sumcient tensionupon the coiled portion of the cordage between the feeder and the reelH6 to support the weight of that portion of the cordage. Theabove-described method and apparatus serve to automatically andcontinuously coil, set and'takeup' cordage at a high. rate of speed, Theapparatus is variable to control the pull of cords made from helicallycoiled cordage. The method and apparatus serve to uncoil cordagetemporarily and take it up in recoil'ed form with all the twist effectinherently imparted to the cordage from the uncoiled operation taken outof the cordage.

What is claimed is:- I

apparatus for making continuous re- The coiler I5 coils the co'rdage Ii]into tractile cordage from cordage includingan element of plasticmaterial, which comprises an. elongated, flexible mandrel, means foradvancing the mandrel along a predetermined path, a serving head forcoiling such cordage into a helix on the mandrel, means surrounding aportion of said path for heating cordage coiled on the mandrel by theserving head, means revolvable around the mandrel for unwinding thecordage from the mandrel, and means for twisting the oordage as it isunwound from the mandrel in such a direction that the twisting beingimparted to the cordage by the unwinding operation is compensated for. V

2'. An apparatus for making continuous retractile cordage from cordageincluding an element' of plastic material, which comprises an elongated,flexible mandrel, means for continuously' advancing the mandrel along apredeter mined path, a serving head for continuously coiling suchcord'age into a helix on the mandrel, means surrounding a portion ofsaid path for heating cordage coiled on the mandrel by the serving head,means revolvable around the mandrel for continuously unwinding thecordage from the mandrel, and means for turning the cordage about itslongitudinal axis as it is unwound from the mandrel in such a directionthat twisting thereof by the revolvable means is prevented,

3. An apparatus for making continuous retractile cordage from cordageincluding an element of plastic material, which comprises an endless,flexible mandrel, means for continuously advancing the mandrel along apredetermined path, a serving head for continuously coiling such cordageinto a helix on the mandrel, means surrounding" a portion of said pathfor heating cordage coiled on the mandrel by the serving head, meansrevolvable around the mandrel for continuously unwinding the cordagefrom the mandrel, and means for turning the coiled cordage about itslongitudinal. axis as it is unwound from the mandrel in such a directionand to such an extent that twisting thereof by the revolvable means isprevented.

4 An apparatus for making continuous ret-ractile ccrdage from cordageincluding an element of plastic material, which comprises an elongated,flexible mandrel, means for advancing the mandrel along a predeterminedpath, a serving head for coiling such cordage into ahelix on themandrel, means surrounding a portion of said path for heating coi'dagecoiled on the mandrel by the serving head, a take-up reel, means forrevolving the take-up reel around the flexible mandrel to unwind thecorda-ge from the. mandrel, a shoe revol'vable with the take-up reel forpryi'n'g the. cor'd'age from the mandrel, means carried by thereel-revolving means for advancing the cordage from the shoe to thetake-up reel. to relieve tension thereon, a variable speed, driveresponsive to the amount of cordage on the reel for rotating the take-upreel to wind the cordage thereon, and means for revolving the reel insuch a direction and to such. an extent about an axis perpendieular tothe longitudinal axis thereof as to take out twist in the cordageimparted thereto by the unwinding of the cordage from the mandrel'. Y

An apparatus for making continuous re the mandrel along a predeterminedpath, a serv 7 ing head ror coilinglosuch cordageinto a helix upon themandrel cordage, means surrounding a portion of said path for heatingcordage coiled on the mandrel by the serving head, a take-up reel, meansfor revolving the take-up reel around the flexible mandrel to unwind thecordage from the mandrel, a shoe revolvable with the take-up reel forprying the cordage from the mandrel,- means for rotating the take-upreel to wind the cordage thereon at a constant rate of speed, means forsupporting the cordage from the shoe to the take-up reel to relievetension thereon, and means for revolving the reel about an axisperpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof in such a direction andto such an extent as to prevent twist in the cordage from the unwindingthereof from the mandrel.

6. An apparatus for making continuous retractile cordage from cordageincluding an element of plastic material, which comprises an endless,flexible mandrel, means for advancing the mandrel along a predeterminedpath, a serving head positioned at one point in said path for coilingsuch cordage into a helix on the mandrel, means surrounding a portion ofsaid path for heating cordage coiled on the mandrel by the serving head,a take-up reel, means for revolving the take-up reel around the mandrelto unwind the cordage from the mandrel, meansfor rotating the take-upreel to wind the helically coiled cordage thereon, means responsive tothe amount of cordage on the take-up reel, means for varying the speedof the reel-rotating means inversely with respect to the amount ofcordage thereon, a prier revolvable with the take-up reel for prying thecordage from the mandrel, means for advancing the cordage from the shoeto the take-up reel to relieve tension thereon, and means for revolvingthe reel in such a direction about an axis perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis thereof as to prevent twisting the cordage from theunwinding of the cordage from the mandrel. '7. An apparatus for makingcontinuous retractile cordage, which comprises a mandrel, means foradvancing the mandrel along a predetermined path, a take-up reel, meansfor revolving the take-up reel around the mandrel to unwind from themandrel retractile cordage coiled into a helix on the mandrel and set inthat form, means responsive to the amount of cordage on the reel forrotating the reel to wind the cordage thereon at a uniform rate ofspeed, and means for revolving the reel in such ,a direction about anaxis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof to prevent twistingthe cordage by the unwinding thereof from the mandrel.

8. An apparatus for making continuous retractile cordage, whichcomprises a fixed base, a mandrel, means for advancing the mandrel alonga predetermined path, a take-up reel, a frame rotatable about a portionof such path for revolving the take-up reel around the mandrel to unwindfrom the mandrel retractile cordage wound in the form of a helix thereonand set in that form, means for rotating the frame around said portionof'the path, a bracket for supporting the reel, means for mounting thebracket rotatably on the frame, a gear fixed to said base, a gear traincarried by the frame and operable by the fixed gear for rotating thereel-supporting bracket, a gear carried by the frame and fixed withrespect thereto, a variable speed power transmission means carried bythe bracket and operable by the last-mentioned gear for rotating thetake-up reel, 2. feeler for controlling the variable speed powertransmission meansna dis:

from the shoe to the take-up reel to relieve tension thereon.

9. An apparatus for making retractile cordage, which comprises a mandrelupon which cordage may be coiled, a take-up reel mounted parallel;

to the mandrel, means for advancing the mandrel past the take-up reel,means for prying cordage wound on the mandrel from the mandrel, meansfor effecting relative turning movement between the mandrel on the onehand and the cordage-' prying means and the reel on the other, means forrotating the take-up reel to wind the cordagethereon, and means forrevolving the reel about an axis transverse to its longitudinal axis ina direction such as totake out twist placed in the cord by the relativeturning movement between the mandrel and the reel.

10. An apparatus for making retractile cordage, which comprises amandrel designed to have continuous cordage coiled into a helix thereonand set thereon while in the form of the helix, means for advancing themandrel, a take-up reel, a frame rotatable about the mandrel, a reelsupport mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis perpendicular tothe mandrel for m0unt-' ing the reel for rotation about an axisperpendicular to the axis of rotation of the support, an annulargearfixed against rotation in a position concentric with the mandrel, meansfor rotating the frame with respect to the mandrel and the annular gear,gearing interconnecting the reel support to the annular gear, wherebythe reel support is rotated when the frame is revolvedaround themandrel, variable speed means carried by the reel support and drivableby the rotation of the reel support for rotating the reel, feeler meansresponsive to the amount of cordage on the reel for regulating the rateof speed of the reel-rotating means, a pair of feeder belts carried bythe reel-support in juxtaposed positions between the reel and themandrel, and means carried by the support for driving the belts.

11. An apparatus for making retractile cordage, which comprises aflexible mandrel designed to have continuous cordage coiled into a helixthereon and set while thereon in the form of the helix, means foradvancing the mandrel along a predetermined path, a supply reel, a framero-.- tatable about the mandrel, a reel support mounted on the-frame forrotation about an axis per-I; pendicular to the mandrel for mounting thereel for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation ofthe support, an annular gear fixed against rotation in a positionconcentric with-the mandrel, means for rotating the frame with respectto the mandrel and the annular gear, variable speed gearing includingreversing means for interconnecting the reel support to the annulargear, whereby the reel support is rotated when the frame is revolvedaround the mandrel, means for braking the reel so that cordage from thereel is served tightly upon the mandrel, and means carried by the framefor supporting the flexible mandrel as the cordage is served thereon.

12. An apparatus for making continuous retractile cordage from acontinuous length of cordage having an element of plastic materialtherein, which comprises an elongated, flexible mandrel, means foradvancing the mandrel along a predetermined path, a serving headrevolvable about REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PA'fiiINTS Number Name Date Hanson Dec. 26, 1944

